1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to alkoxysilylalkyl functional silicones, to their utilization as finishing agents for natural and synthetic textiles, and to textile materials embodying such functional silicones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The application of finishing agents to textiles has been practiced for many years. Thus, as one example, it is conventional practice to apply various finishing agents to the staple fibers used in what is sometimes termed "fiberfill" applications to enhance such properties as resiliency and softness. Applications such as pillows, sleeping bags, and jackets often utilize staple textiles of either a synthetic or natural nature, polyester and nylon fibers being often used. Such fibers require a finishing agent to be applied to allow the fiberfill to function as is desired.
To this end, many types of organosilicon compounds have been utilized as finishing agents which impart lubricity, thereby producing the desired product characteristics. As one example, polydimethyly siloxanes and silanol end-blocked polydimethyl siloxanes have been utilized for this purpose.
Likewise, textile fibers treated with a durable press resin typically require treatment with a softening agent to achieve commercially acceptable hand, strength, and wrinkle recovery. A variety of silicone compounds have been proposed and employed as softening agents.
Still further, what has been sometimes termed a thread lubricant has been applied to continuous filaments to facilitate the winding up and other processing of such filaments. There are many other similar applications.
While many organosilicon compounds initially impart acceptable lubricity and other characteristics to textiles, it has been recognized that improvements are needed to provide acceptable characteristics over extended use. Stated another way, commonly used organosilicon compounds do not impart adequate durability, viz.--the desirable properties are often readily lost in use. For example, when textiles coated with such materials are exposed to water, especially under non-neutral conditions, e.g., when the textile is washed with an alkaline detergent solution, the organosilicon compounds are removed. In other words, the coatings are removed when the textiles are subjected to repeated washings.
The recognition of this drawback has spawned a variety of techniques designed to improve the permanence or durability of the desired properties. Perhaps the principal effort has been directed towards achieving a chemical bond between the finishing agent and the textile, as by cross-linking the finishing agent to the textile.
Other attempts to solve this problem have involved cross-linking the finishing agent itself. Thus, in concept, the objective is to encapsulate the textile fiber in the finishing agent which is itself then cross-linked in some fashion. Some attempts have utilized modification of the organosilicon compound utilized so that the compound may be cross-linked with an additional agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,162 suggests the utilization of a pendant aminobutyl functional dimethylsiloxane which is cross-linked with toluene diisocyanate. French Patent 1,549,327 utilizes an aqueous emulsion of a poly (methylhydrosiloxane) and a commercial epoxy resin. Upon cross-linking at room temperature, a curable softness is said to be provided to a fabric substrate.
Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,845 discloses the use of particular siloxane-polyoxyalkylene block copolymers containing methoxysiloxy groups. Such copolymers are disclosed as providing durable coatings on fibrous materials.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,519 discloses organosilicone terpolymers containing pendant polyoxyalkylene groups and a number of hydrolyzable silyl groups. Such terpolymers are utilized as a hydrophilic finishing agent for natural and synthetic fabric.
Despite the considerable efforts in this area and the diversity of approaches which have been suggested, there remains the need for a finishing agent which is capable of imparting the satisfactory lubricity and other characteristics to textile fibers while providing durability. The prior efforts thus show the need for a finishing agent which provides the requisite durability in an economical and facile fashion.